Eagles players gush over leadership qualities of Saquon Barkley

   

As much as running back Saquon Barkley sounds thrilled to be with the Philadelphia Eagles, his new teammates seem just as excited about what the 27-year-old is already offering the club behind the scenes. 

"Even in the short time of us having [voluntary organized team activities], you hear about the type of person he is, the type of leader he is in the room, the energy he brings to a room and that's something that I appreciate already -- just us competing in sprints or competing on the squat rack and things like that where we're challenging one another -- those are the things that set the thermostat for what the team is supposed to follow," Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts recently said about Barkley, per Tim McManus of ESPN. 

Eagles players gush over leadership qualities of Saquon Barkley

Hurts became a target of some media members and fans for alleged issues related to his leadership style as the 2023 Eagles experienced a collapse that saw them fall from 10-1 to 11-6 before they suffered a humbling 32-9 wild-card playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Philadelphia then lost center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, so-called "culture guys," to retirement this offseason. 

As for Barkley, he previously served as a team captain with the New York Giants and was viewed by many as the face of that franchise over the past several seasons. He and the Eagles agreed to a three-year, $37.75M contract after the Giants let him reach free agency in March, and he's already made quite a positive impression with his current employer. 

"He's an incredible running back," Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown said about Barkley during OTAs. "I watched him over the years. I'm glad he's on my team. What I saw [during offseason training], him pushing teammates in the weight room, that gets me excited because honestly...if I can get a guy like that who's going to come to work every single day and working hard, that's all that matters."

During his Giants tenure that ran from the 2018 draft through this past season, Barkley played in one playoff win and two total postseason games in January 2023. As of Monday, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Eagles tied for third among the betting favorites at +700 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX